Watch now: The Helsinki Commission Story

WASHINGTON—In the run up to the first Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit in more than a decade, the U.S. Helsinki Commission today unveiled a new web video highlighting the Commission's work over the past 35 years to encourage compliance with human rights, energy, environmental and security commitments.

Watch the video by clicking here. Run time: 3 min. 44 sec.

"Our longstanding anti-corruption work and important initiatives to shed new light on the finances of the extractive industry sector should serve as a reminder to our global audience that the commitments made at Helsinki are as relevant today as they were in 1975," said Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe). "It's vital that we use new media to communicate with expanding audiences in order to share the Commission's story of how we are holding countries, including the United States, to account for their commitments."

From this year's work creating a new standard for revenue transparency in the energy sector to the decades of action preserving human rights and fundamental freedoms and freeing prisoners from authoritarian regimes, this video provides a concise overview of the goals, function, and accomplishments of the U.S. Helsinki Commission. It tells the Commission's story—dating back to its creation in 1976—through the voices of current and former Commissioners, some of whom now serve in the cabinet, and former dissidents and diplomats.

"The Commission's broad use of new media tools, like this video, reemphasizes our mission to defend human rights, ensure democratic progress on elections and good governance and expose anti-Semitism and xenophobia across the 56 countries of the OSCE region," said Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL).

The video features the following people:

Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman

Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, U.S. Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Helsinki Commissioner

Rep. Chris Smith, U.S. Helsinki Commission Ranking Republican Member

Rep. Louise Slaughter, U.S. Helsinki Commissioner

Secretary Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor

Rep. Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader, former U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman

Jeff Hovenier, National Security Council Director for Central and Eastern Europe

Spencer Oliver, Secretary General OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, former U.S. Helsinki Commission Staff Director

Max Kampelman, U.S. Ambassador to OSCE Madrid Conference

Yuri Orlov, Founder of Moscow Helsinki Group